System and method for calibration of optical fiber instrument

• US 9,441,954 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ramamurthy, Bhaskar S., Tanner, Neal A., Younge, Robert G., Schlesinger, Randall L.
• Primary Examiner(s): STANFIELD, CHERIE MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US13/603,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00004 characterised by electronic signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00013 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00057 provided with means for testing or calibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0017 Details of single optical fibres, e.g. material or cladding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/082 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00699 correcting for movement caused by respiration, e.g. by triggering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00725 Calibration or performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2061 using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/715 Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 : Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 : Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 : Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 : using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 : Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 : Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 : Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 : Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4887 : Locating particular structures in or on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 : for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 : Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 : Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/48 : Diagnostic techniques A61B8/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 : using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 : using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0166 : Sensors, electrodes or the like for guiding the catheter to a target zone, e.g. image guided or magnetically guided
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/16 : for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. optical strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/165 : by means of a grating deformed by the object
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/242 : the material being an optical fibre

Abstract

An instrument system that includes an elongate body in a geometric configuration, an optical fiber, and a controller is provided. The optical fiber is operatively coupled to the elongate body and has a strain sensor provided on the optical fiber, wherein at least a portion of the optical fiber is in the geometric configuration. The controller is operatively coupled to the optical fiber and adapted to receive, from a source other than the optical fiber, information indicative of the geometric configuration, receive a signal from the strain sensor, and associate the signal with the geometric configuration.

Claims

1. An instrument system, comprising:

an elongate instrument body positioned in a known geometric configuration;

an optical fiber operatively coupled to the elongate instrument body and having a strain sensor provided on the optical fiber, wherein at least a portion of the optical fiber coupled to the elongate instrument body is in the known geometric configuration,

wherein the elongate instrument body and the optical fiber operatively coupled thereto are constructed and arranged to be retained in the known geometric configuration by a calibration fixture having a calibration passage in which the elongate instrument body and the optical fiber operatively coupled thereto are positioned, wherein the known geometric configuration of the elongate instrument body is formed from a shape of the calibration passage of the calibration fixture upon insertion of the elongate instrument body through the calibration passage of the calibration fixture, wherein the calibration fixture having the calibration passage is an independent structure from the elongate instrument body; and

a controller operatively coupled to the optical fiber and adapted to;

receive, from a source other than the optical fiber, information indicative of the known geometric configuration of the elongate instrument body;

receive a signal from the strain sensor while the elongate instrument body is in the known geometric configuration, the signal indicative of a sensed geometric configuration; and

associate the signal from the strain sensor with the known geometric configuration of the elongate instrument body.

2. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the known geometric configuration of the elongate instrument body is a bent shape, and wherein the controller is adapted to associate the signal from the strain sensor with the known geometric configuration by associating the signal from the strain sensor with the bent shape.

3. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the shape of the calibration passage of the calibration fixture forms a straight line.

4. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the shape of the calibration passage of the calibration fixture forms a quarter circle or forms a bend of 90 degrees.

5. The instrument system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to receive information indicative of a diameter of the optical fiber, a position of the optical fiber relative to the elongate instrument body, a position of the strain sensor relative to the optical fiber, reflectivity of the strain sensor, a thermal property of the optical fiber, or a mechanical property of the optical fiber, and wherein the controller is adapted to associate the information with the signal from the strain sensor.